Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

Items in the State Library collection can be checked out to state officials and staff.

Access to all materials listed will be provided by the State Information Reference Center, either by e-mail to cslsirc@library.ca.gov or by calling 654-0261.

[“The relationship between high BMI [body mass index] and asthma symptoms was studied in 457 sixth-grade children with and without current wheeze.... The study confirms and extends a previously observed relationship between BMI and the presence of wheezing and asthma.”]

[“To determine the relation between obesity and new-onset asthma among school-age children, the authors examined longitudinal data from 3,792 participants in the Children’s Health Study (Southern California) who were asthma-free at enrollment. … The authors conclude that being overweight is associated with an increased risk of new-onset asthma in boys and in nonallergic children.”]

["We provide a state-by-state analysis of the number of hospitalizations due to asthma that could potentially be avoided by administrating the flu vaccination. The analysis is broken by down by adults and by children under 15 years of age.”]

[“As allergists, the authors are concerned about health insurance proposals to reduce or eliminate coverage and patient access to several second-generation antihistamines and possibly other important allergy and asthma medications.”]

["This report examines asthma in California based on data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. [The authors] report on the prevalence of asthma in California [and] discuss access to care for people with asthma. Then [the authors] discuss emergency department use and hospitalizations among people with asthma.... The policy report provides several recommendations including on-going surveillance of asthma, improving control of asthma through the reduction of environmental triggers, reducing disparities in the burden of asthma, and suggesting community-based, culturally appropriate interventions."]